The Legacy of a Legend
by The Knight of Thirteen
Summary: From the day Gol D. Roger finds a tattered straw hat in a field of tall grass to the day that the Will of D shakes the stars. Three Pirate Kings rise and fall, but the hat weathers every storm. This is a re-write of my original continuity. For more details, see the Author's Note inside. AU after chapter 743.
1. A Hat in a Field

_**Author's Note - Hello again! For the most part, this will be a re-write of my original One Piece continuity. However, it will have some changes. As i wrote, the story evolved a bit, so some of the continuity was lost. As i re-write this series, i plan to correct these inconsistencies. In addition, the original stories were separated and frequently in odd chronological order. This story will assemble those pieces in the order in which they occurred. I hope that this will make the story over all a bit easier to follow.**_

_**It is also very likely that i will add new scenes as i go, starting with this first chapter. I couldn't think of a better place to start than here. If you have not read my other stories, then feel free to do so, or to wait for them to be assimilated here. Be warned, when this is completed, i will be removing the old stories. If you want a version of this favorited in a certain way, transfer it to this story before the old ones are lost.**_

_**That's all from me! Enjoy the story, and sorry the first chapter is so short!**_

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_**The Legacy of a Legend - Chapter 01**_

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_**A Hat In A Field**_

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"Hey! Roger! What is that?" A young girl shouted across the field at her brother. The boy in question was standing in grass that nearly hid him entirely, holding something in his hands that his sister couldn't see. "Come on! Show me!"

"Come out here and see for yourself!" The boy, Roger, called back. He was too absorbed with what he had found to look up at the moment. With an annoyed huff, the girl began pushing her way through grass that sat even with her neck in most places. Finally, she reached her brother's side and punched his arm angrily.

"You made me hike through all that grass to see a stupid ugly hat?!" The girl turned and began to storm off, but her brother caught her arm.

"Wait!" When she turned, she found him grinning at her the way he always did when his imagination was running away with him again. "Look at it!" He extended the hat. She raised an eyebrow, but took the thing and turned it slowly in her hands.

"What am I looking for, exactly?" She pretended she was uninterested, but as she handled the thing, she became more and more intrigued. It looked like it was ancient, with burns, tears, and marks of all kinds covering its surface. However, despite the obvious signs of wear, it was in perfect structural shape. Not a single piece of straw threatened to fall free.

"Fine, then." Roger snatched it from her hands and sat it resolutely on top of his head. "I'm keeping it."

"You would..." She shook her head, but reached up and slid the loop of red ribbon from her head and nestled it around the top of the hat. "There. At least now you have a little color." She folded her arms and looked at him critically. "You still look like an idiot." She turned and ran off through the grass, leaving her brother standing alone.

"Ha. Well, maybe I _am_ an idiot." Roger took the hat off and examined it with the ribbon. "It looks nice, Chrysi. Thanks." He grinned and replaced it on his messy black hair and then took off after his sister.

When he reached the edge of the field, he found her waiting, as always, on a large rock they had found a few years before. Their parents didn't approve of them running off in to the forests and fields of the mountainous region of the island, but as long as they stayed together and always came back in one piece, they didn't put up too much of a fuss.

That was how they spent their days. Running through the forest, swimming in rivers, climbing hills that seemed almost insurmountable to children their size. A day without a new adventure was a day wasted.

So, Roger and Chrysos were well known throughout Loguetown as the best guides around, as well as the most likely suspects should something go amiss in the wild lands that took up a large portion of the island.

Their parents were wealthy, but not rich. Merchants who had worked hard to make their fortunes in the city that served as the crossroads of East Blue.

It provided endless opportunities for their children to get in to trouble as they listened to stories from pirates and marines alike about the wonders and dangers of the Grand Line.

"Think we should head back? Mom and Dad are probably going to yell at us for missing dinner again. We watch the sunset and not be much worse off." Roger pondered their options as his sister only rolled her eyes. She knew what answer he would come up with. If it was a choice between sitting in a house with civilized people and spending time with the wonder of nature, he would be camping every time.

The pair spent most of the evening laying in the grass, watching the sun set and then the stars appear. Roger never let the hat leave his side. Something about it seemed... special to him. As if he could hear a voice calling out to him from nowhere and everywhere that that had was destined to see incredible things, and he should be right there with it.

"Roger, do you think we'll ever leave this place?" Chrysos asked quietly.

"Yeah. Maybe soon. At least for me."

"You have to take me with you!"

"No way, Chrysi! You should go have your own adventure and make your own friends. You can't keep relying on me." Roger said. He knew it was harsh, but he had the feeling that she had a different path than he did.

"Fine... Where do you think you'll go then?"

"I..." Roger closed his eyes and remembered the feeling that came over him when he picked up the ragged straw hat that afternoon. "I am going to sail where no man has ever been before. I'm going to explore the entire Grand Line. All the way to the end!"

"All the way to the end of the Grand Line, huh? Yeah right. No one has ever been there, and you aren't the strongest man to ever try." Chrysi yawned. "I heard there are some revolutionaries going around causing trouble for the government. They might be fun to travel with. I might even meet a handsome hero and get married to someone who isn't as boring as all the guys around here."

Roger and Chrysos looked at each other, then grinned and extended their hands to each other, holding the other tightly.

"Promise, one of us will shake the world." They both nodded.

A few years later, the two siblings set off in their own directions. Chrysos met up with a recruiter for the revolutionaries. Roger met a man at the dock.

"_Our meeting here is destiny, Rayleigh! My name is Roger! How would you like to turn the world on its head with me?!"_

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**_Review, please! They serve as excellent motivation!_**


	2. The Son of a Marine

_**Author's Note - Some of Dragon's story. Only minor edits from the original.**_

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_**The Legacy of a Legend - Chapter 02**_

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**_The Son of a Marine_**

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"Get down here for your training!" Garp shouted at the tree branches above him.

"Like hell!" From the very highest branches, where his father's weight would not be able to stand, Dragon perched. He had hoped the man would leave him be, but he was not so lucky.

"Get down here now, or you will be doing your training in that tree!" Garp shouted again. Dragon laughed. He'd love to see the old man try and climb up here. Then the first rock shot past him, breaking three medium sized limbs off as it splintered them. Dragon jumped to his feet and pressed his back to the trunk, making himself the smallest possible target.

"Are you trying to kill me?! Not like it would be out of character for a marine!" Dragon side stepped around the tree onto a different branch just in time to avoid another stone that could have easily broken his leg, or at least knocked him out of the tree.

"If you die from something as simple as this, then you still need a lot of training before you are ready to become a great marine like me!" Garp hurled another rock, snapping the peak of the tree off just above his son's head. "And you _will_ become a marine!"

"Not happening! Shouldn't you be off chasing Roger around the Grand Line instead of throwing rocks at me?" Dragon ducked and looked around, trying to find an escape route. He found two trees that could support his weight at his current elevation, but only one led to more trees of the same strength. He dashed to the end of the branch and jumped to the next tree, abandoning the former just as Garp delivered a powerful punch to the base, shaking the tree to its highest branches.

"Sengoku does not need me on the job at all times. There are many other capable marines, now stop running!" Another punch, this time to the tree he was still clinging to, caused Dragon to wrap his arms tightly around the trunk and wait for his teeth to stop rattling from the impact.

"If they are so capable, then how have they not caught him in the last decade?" Dragon took a moment to breath and judge his next best path. He could continue running, far slower while navigating branches than his father on the ground. He could try and fight, and get his butt handed to him. Or he could wait and get pulverized. No good options. Negotiating? Never.

"We can not focus all of our forces on one pirate, no matter how big a threat he is! There are others we need to consider. Newgate, for one. The man is being called an emperor in the New World!" Garp picked up another rock. "They've begun calling him Whitebeard. How foolish is that? He does not even _have_ a beard!"

"And the marines wouldn't know justice if it popped out of a whole in the ground and bit them!" Dragon took his opportunity while Garp was pulling back to throw the rock and dropped several feet before kicking off a branch and sailing over the giant man's head, rolling across the grass and smoothly to his feet before taking off. On a hunch, he dodged right, just in time for the redirected rock to fly past him.

"The marines are the only force between the innocent inhabitants of the seas and the pirates who would destroy them!" Garp ran after his son, but on the ground, Dragon could out run him any day.

"The marines are as bad as any pirate, maybe worse! At least the pirates haven't organized themselves to rule the world together and enslave those weaker than them! The World Government is a scourge on the innocent inhabitants of the seas more so than all the pirates together!" Dragon shouted back, not stopping to see if his words had any effect on the man.

Dragon loved running. It was the wind, he thought. The wind was the very embodiment of freedom. The sixteen year old boy would have almost appreciated his father's brutal training, if it had not been for the constant marine propaganda. There was no way he would ever serve a government that would enslave others, or kill for such petty reasons.

He finally came to a stop when he was sure he was well out of his father's sight. He doubted the man would come looking for him again today. Despite what he had said, Sengoku was unlikely to allow him that much time off. Dragon sighed and climbed a new tree, careful to choose a spot where he would be hard to spot from the ground.

All in all, he was hard to spot already. With lose black pants and a similar shirt, together with his dark green coat and short black hair, he was nearly invisible if you were not looking for him. He scowled and ran his fingers through what remained of his hair. His father was determined that he was going to be a marine, and that meant a marine's haircut, even if the organization no longer enforced that rule.

Dragon had picked a tree tall enough to see over the others from it's top. From there, he could see the shore, and the sea beyond. _I'm going to leave this place... Then there will be no more of these incidents. I'll be free._

Back at their home, Garp sat listening to the Den Den Mushi that had been sent with him.

"We need you back at Marineford for another attempt as soon as possible. We have reports that Roger is in West Blue for some reason. Are you done harassing your son?" Sengoku asked.

"The ungrateful child still refuses to become a marine." Garp sighed. "I'll be there in under a week, if weather is fare."

"Good. We'll wait for you. Maybe more details will come in during that time." Sengoku severed the connection, and Garp let out a frustrated sigh. How could his son think worse of marines than of pirates?! Pirates had murdered his mother. Pirates killed indiscriminately. Marines protected people.

_He'll change his mind._ Garp told himself for what was likely the millionth time in the last few years. For now, he had to set out again. He did not understand why, but Roger seemed to enjoy fighting with him more than anyone else. When marines approached him, he would usually begin firing on them as soon as they were in range. When Garp was among them, he would wait and fight hand to hand, even electing not to draw his sword.

Of course, he would always run away in the end, but he never took the few opportunities he got to kill the marine. He'd just grin and step back, allowing his adversary to recover. The one time their duel had been interrupted by one of Garp's men, Roger had set his crew on them. Very few survived. After that, Garp always fought one on one with the pirate.

But despite all this, Garp had no idea _why_ the pirate fought him willingly. For that matter, he didn't know how Roger always knew whether he was on board or not. Was it a very precise and far reaching form of observation haki?

Whatever the case, Sengoku wanted him to be the one to bring Roger down. He'd already been promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral so that he could serve directly under Sengoku's command, but had turned down the promotion to Admiral. If he held that rank, he would never get to do as he pleased.

The large man stood and picked up his coat, looking over the word 'Justice' on its back. Yes. He was supposed to fight for justice, and Roger was a pirate. That was all the reason he needed.

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It had been two years since he had left home. Honestly, he didn't know whether leaving a note for his father had been a good idea or not. Almost certainly not, but he could not resist the opportunity to say exactly what he believed. The racism against fishmen, the slavery among the World Nobles, the mistreatment of the poor by the nobles of Goa Kingdom, the execution of innocent people for 'crimes' like speaking ill of a World Noble. It was sickening. And that was what the marines defended.

He'd heard Roger was exploring West Blue soon after he set out and had set his sights there, however, he learned you can not go down Reverse Mountain the wrong way and ended up in the Grand Line. Reluctant to put himself in the way of every pirate entering the most dangerous sea, he chose the least taken path. The right most string of islands had been barely mapped, and if what he knew of Roger was correct, there was a good chance they would cross paths there.

Dragon neither liked nor hated pirates. He believed every man should be judged as an individual. He even acknowledged his father was a good man, but he could not forgive him for allying himself with the World Government. Roger, however, was notorious for his fairness and loyalty to his crew. That was the kind of man Dragon could follow, and he at least wanted to meet him.

It did not look like that was going to happen any time soon. His small ship had been smashed on the rocks of a small island during a storm, and now he was stranded. There wasn't much on the island, but there were enough fruit trees and animals that he would not starve. Near the center of a small but thick jungle, he had found a large blue stone block that had been intricately carved in a language he could not recognize. The area around it sloped down, with ornate stairs leading up to it, as if it were a shrine.

Apart from the block, there was nothing of interest. He would know. He'd circled the entire island twice on his first day, and explored the interior thoroughly over the next two. He was completely alone, and completely stuck. Seeing no hope of rescue, having cleverly embarked on the least trafficked path through Paradise, he set to work gathering what he would need to make a new ship. Nothing amazing, just something that would get him to the next island.

He found enough sharp rocks to begin work cutting down the first of several trees. He set aside the best wedge shaped stones for use later when it came to splitting the wood into more usable pieces. It was going to be a long and painful process, so he decided shelter should be his first order of business. He found several trees grown together, and with the weaving of some thick vines into the already meshed upper branches, he had a very comfortable place to sleep.

He'd been on the island for nearly two weeks when he spotted an approaching ship. There was no flag, but that meant little. Some people did not fly their flag near islands they were unfamiliar with. From his tree, he could barely make out the people on board. It looked like only a few, maybe five at most. It was hard to tell. The ship was small enough, it could be as little as three.

As the day wore on, Dragon continued carving down logs for his boat, checking the progress of the approaching ship. He hoped they would give him a ride off the deserted island, but he would not count on it. If they were marines, he'd be taken back to his father or thrown in jail, depending on their mood, and if it were pirates, he could be killed, or taken prisoner, or treated to some rum or sake. You could never tell with pirates.

It was into the evening when the ship reached the shore. He waited inside the edge of the jungle, watching as four men dropped to the shore. Two were armed, one with a pistol and one with a sword. The other two looked like they had been forcibly dragged out of a library, one still clutching a book in each hand, and a pair of glasses on the end of his nose.

Dragon waited for them to pass him before slipping out onto the shore and climbing up onto their ship. He hoped he'd find a clue as to their intentions, then he could make a plan. If they were marines, he'd steal their ship. If they were pirates... Well, he'd probably still steal their ship, but it was nice to know, right?

"Who are you?"

Dragon jumped and spun around, only then realizing he had left his knife in his tree. He relaxed when he realized the person who had spoken was a young woman, not one of the armed men. He tensed again when he realized she was holding a rifle aimed at his chest.

"I'm just a traveler who got stranded on this island. I was hoping I might be able to stow away and get off on a less abandoned pile of dirt." Dragon lied. "Are you pirates or marines?"

"Neither. We're scholars from West Blue. And you?" She did not lower the rifle. He sighed.

"Neither. My father is a marine, but I didn't want to follow in his foot steps, so I left." That was true, at least.

"I see..." Hesitantly, the girl lowered the rifle, then stepped back a few steps, in case he made a grab for it. Good thinking. "My name is Nico Olivia. What's yours?"

"Monkey D. Dragon." Dragon hoped she would not recognize the name of the popular marine vice admiral. She raised an eyebrow.

"Monkey and Dragon? That's a bit silly, don't you think?" She was forcing herself to look relaxed, but he could tell she was still waiting for him to make a threatening move. She did not cross her arms or lean on anything, keeping her rifle at the ready to raise in an instant.

"Hey, I didn't pick it. Blame my father." The young man frowned. No one had ever criticized his name before. Although, most of the people he met either worked with his father and were used to it, or they were kids off the street who didn't care. This girl though... She was smart.

"Well, I guess I can't fault him for calling you Dragon. Very fearsome." She smiled. He laughed.

"I'm not all that fearsome. My father kept trying to train me up into a good strong marine, but I got out of as much of that as I could. I can run though." Dragon looked around quickly, then slowly moved to sit in a chair in the corner of the room. Seeing him move had made her raise the rifle a few inches, but when he sat, she finally relaxed a little.

"I'm afraid when we leave here we're probably going straight back home, so unless you want to visit West Blue, you might want to pick another boat to stow away on." Olivia said. Dragon looked her over, wondering what such a pretty girl was doing traveling with four grown men. Did she just say West Blue?

"I actually set out hoping to go to West Blue, but it turns out Reverse Mountain only goes one way. How do you all plan to get back?" Dragon asked. She grinned at him.

"We have a trick for that. Why did you want to go to West Blue of all places? We're not a particularly popular tourist spot. Or are you a scholar too?!" She looked absolutely radiant for a moment, and Dragon thought about lying again, but decided against it.

"I wanted to see the pirate called Roger, and I heard he was there, but that was two years ago. He's probably moved on by now." Dragon sighed. She had frowned for a moment, then nodded.

"Yeah, he stopped at our island a couple of years ago. I begged him to let me go with him, but he said I needed to stay. He was a really strange guy... Were you hoping to join him? I'm sure your dad would love to hear that." Olivia giggled. "Imagine him getting a wanted poster for his own son!"

"He'd probably hunt me down, punch me, and stuff a marine shirt over my head. The man had trouble taking no for an answer." Dragon found himself smiling too, and telling the stranger far more than he had originally intended.

"We have enough room for you, but I don't get to say whether you can come or not, and Roger left West Blue a month after he arrived. He said the marines would be there to cause trouble soon and he didn't want to make a mess of our island. He was pretty considerate for a pirate." Olivia ran her hand through her silvery hair and groaned. "I wish I could have gone with him! He's gone places no scholar has gone! I bet there are Poneglyphs in the world that no one has seen but him!"

"What is a Poneglyph?" Dragon asked, trying not to stare at her hair. It was strange and beautiful. He'd never seen someone with white hair that young before.

"They're... I'm not supposed to talk about it. The government has forbidden it, and they'd have all of our heads if they found out I even spoke about them." The girl looked at the floor. "They're afraid of what we'll learn."

"I would never tell the government a thing, and I can assure you there is no one else on this island. I've been over it enough, I should know." Dragon spoke quietly. He was curious now, and he didn't like how scared the girl looked.

"How much to you know about the Void Century?" She asked, looking up at him with a small smile.

She led him to her room on the ship and spent the next hours explaining what it was they were searching for, nearly squealing with excitement when he told her that there was a Poneglyphs at the center of the island. When she had finished, he nodded in understanding.

"Just like the World Government. Anything that might make people open their eyes and they demonize it..." Dragon sat at her desk, looking at the shelves of books that were held in place with ropes and hooks so they would not fall when the ship rocked. "So, the guys who came here with you... They're scholars too?"

"Yes. My father and his childhood friend are archaeologists, and the other two are from the library. They prefer studying to actually doing things, but we wanted experts with us this time. The last time we went out on a trip like this, it turned out to be a hoax, and we didn't find out till we got home." She sat on her bed, the rifle leaned in the corner. She had decided he was not trying to hurt her.

"How old are you? Do they let kids tag along often?" He teased. She huffed indignantly.

"I'm seventeen, and I am a better archaeologist than half the grown men in our group! I... I didn't have much else to do after my mother died. She asked the wrong man for help... Wanted to know if they knew where the Poneglyph was located that had been rumored on the island. He was actually a high ranking government agent, and he shot her without a word. My father was able to convince the man we were just sight seeing and got us away with our lives..."

"I'm so sorry..." Dragon felt sick. Would his father do that? If someone asked him for help finding a government secret, would he kill a woman without any question? No... He didn't think so. He hoped not. "Someone needs to do something about the government..."

"Yes, but the revolutionaries aren't making much progress. They're too timid." Olivia said, wiping a tear away from her cheek and smiling weakly.

"Revolutionaries? My father never mentioned there was a revolution..." Dragon said. Did the government even know it was being opposed? How timid could they be to remain unknown like that?

"They're led by a man named Mainomai, and apparently they have been around as long as the government, passing leadership down every generation. Some times they are more active, and some generations they do nothing. I keep hoping Mainomai will pass it on to someone who will really change things." She said. She looked up at him and smiled slightly. "You could always join the revolutionaries, since Roger has moved on. They keep a ship stationed nearby our home in case the government finds out what we're studying."

"Join the revolutionaries... I may do that. I could help, then. Make a real difference." Dragon grinned. "I'll do it! Thank you Olivia! You've given me a direction to go in!"

"I'm glad I could help." She smiled at him, then they heard boots on the deck outside. "Sounds like they're back. Let's see if they will let you join us."

They stepped out on deck, Olivia going first to ensure no one got startled into shooting the stranger.

"Dad, would you allow a stranded man to join us until we reach the revolutionary outpost in West Blue?" Olivia asked politely. The man who carried the pistol looked at Dragon and tilted his head.

"You look familiar. What is your name? I am Nico Adrian." Olivia's father extended his hand warily to the younger man.

"Monkey D. Dragon, sir." Dragon extended his hand, but found the pistol drawn and aimed at him before he could blink.

"He's a marine!" Adrian growled, cocking the hammer on his pistol. Olivia stepped between them.

"He is not! His father is, but he hates them as much as we do!" The white haired woman said, pleading. "Killing someone for their family's crimes is something the government would do, not you!"

"How do you know we can trust him? He could easily be a spy." Adrian had lowered the gun, but did not look pleased to have done so.

"I trust him." Olivia said calmly. "Please... Don't hurt him... If you refuse to let him come with us, let him stay here, but don't hurt him."

"Sir, his father... Is Garp, correct?" One of the scholars asked hesitantly. Both Adrian and Dragon nodded slowly. "Roger mentioned that man... He said that among all the marines, if we ever had to trust one of them, trust Monkey D. Garp. We had no idea why he told us such a thing, but he was a remarkable man in the way he seemed to read those around him perfectly. I would trust his judgment, and if this man is his son, I would give him the benefit of trust until he proves he does not deserve it. Your daughter has always proven an excellent judge of character as well."

The man's words seemed to take all the fight out of Olivia's father. He holstered his pistol and nodded his agreement.

"That is why I brought wiser men than myself this time. It will be as you say. Dragon, we will take you to the revolutionaries. Do not betray the trust I am placing in you." Adrian said calmly. Dragon nodded, relieved both that he was going to be going with them, and that the notorious pirate he wanted to meet thought so highly of his father.

"Olivia, you wanted to learn to read the Poneglyph's yes? No time to start like now! We found one, and it is authentic! We have the notes taken down, but only partially translated." The other scholar said kindly. The young woman almost bounced with excitement.

For the next two days, things were uneventful. Dragon helped all he could aboard the ship, and by the time they reached land again, even Adrian had stopped scowling at him.

"We can't be in West Blue already!" Dragon said, dropping to the deck of the small ship and looking around at the island they had docked at.

"No, we'll be traveling by land for the next day, then boarding another ship on the far side of the island. It's uninhabited, and stretches from the Grand Line to South Blue. It is the safest way across the Calm Belt." Olivia explained to him, giving him a gentle shove toward the ladder.

"What will we do in South Blue? Do you have a way to reverse Reverse Mountain?" He asked. She shook her head.

"We'll be crossing the Red Line directly. An archaeologist a few years ago found the passage and we've been using it in secret, along with this island, to travel to Paradise and back. The revolutionaries are the only other people who know about it." Olivia slung her rifle over her shoulder along with her backpack and began making her way down the ladder.

Dragon followed, checking to be sure he had everything. He carried his share of the food, his knife, and several of Olivia's books. Once on the ground, he fell into step beside the white haired woman.

"Who carried your library on the way here?" He asked, already noticing the weight of the books on his shoulder.

"Oh, I brought them to the ship two or three at a time over the last year or so. I thought since you were here, it was a good time to take them back!" She grinned and nudged his shoulder. "I'll switch with you half way, okay?"

"Don't worry about it." Dragon nudged back. "I don't mind carrying them for you, I was only joking. What is it like, where you're from?"

"It is... Really beautiful. The library is built into a giant tree, and most of the island is wild and undeveloped. My brother is very different from me, although he is very kind. He's dating a truly despicable woman though. The downside of seeing the good in everyone, I suppose. She's around a lot, so I spend most of my time with the scholars and archaeologists, or on expeditions with dad. I wish you could see it... The library is incredible!"

"Maybe the revolutionaries will stop there some time and I'll get to see you again." Dragon smiled sadly. He'd miss her. "Or... I could go to Ohara with you, then go to the revolutionaries from there. You said they are stationed near by all the time, right?"

"Yes! Oh yes! That would be amazing!" Olivia danced around him, as excited as she had been when she had asked if he was a fellow scholar. "Dad's gotten used to you, I bet he'd say yes."

"Maybe you should be the one to ask him anyway." Dragon said. "So tell me more."

"Alright. My brother, Oran, thinks I am a bit of an idiot for taking an interest in archeology. Really, he's just worried that I'll get into trouble, which I probably will. His girlfriend, Roji, is so sweet and kind and just disgustingly fake when she is around him, and then a completely hateful slug when she's around anyone else!" Olivia growled. "I wish he'd wake up and realize how bad she is, but I think if he did, it would ruin him."

"If you spend all your time hanging out with a bunch of old bookworms, I guess you don't have a special someone back home waiting for you? Or are you into older men?" Dragon laughed as she kicked his shin gently.

"No! Jeez, the youngest guy there has to be at least five years older than me! I'm only seventeen. I want someone close to my age, or no one at all." The young woman blushed as she looked away. Dragon grinned and stepped a little closer.

"You know, I'm only eighteen."

"Oh really now... Are you implying something, Dragon?" She raised an eyebrow at him and he stepped away, still grinning.

"Of course not. Just a statement of fact, since we were on the topic of ages."

"Hey, keep up you two!" Adrian's friend shouted back to them. They had fallen behind while they talked. Dragon snatched Olivia's bags, and then sprinted ahead, carrying her load as well as his own.

Olivia stood where he had left her, slightly confused, then smiling happily at his act of kindness. She would have to speak to her father about a change of plans. Dragon could stay with them for a while. He was only a year older than her, after all.

* * *

It took a little over a week for the six of them to reach Ohara, Dragon watching in awe as they sailed expertly through the small crack in the Red Line. Viewed from anywhere but straight on, it was impossible to view, due to the uneven nature of the cliff face. Once inside, it was barely wide enough for the ship to pass through. They were able to reach both walls at once with polls to push themselves through.

Dragon was amazed at the immense tree at the center of the island. When Olivia had told him it was big enough to house a library, he hadn't understood just how big that library was. The library in his home town was little more than a half dozen book shelves, and some of them only half full. This was a palace of knowledge.

Olivia was pleased with his reaction to her favorite place in the world, and proceeded to show him around the wild overgrown forest that surrounded their village. They eventually found themselves in a secluded bay, surrounded by white sand and low cliffs. That's where she kissed him the first time.

It became common practice for them to sneak off into the forest together when they had no other responsibilities. Had things remained the same, Dragon would have probably stayed there for good, and forgotten about the revolutionaries. But things rarely remain the same, especially when someone wishes them to.

They were on another expedition, Dragon accompanying them voluntarily this time. Adrian chose to only bring one scholar, so Dragon had his own room, even if he had no intention of using it if he could avoid it. Olivia had taken advantage of his presence to bring another large collection of books on their trip.

"Alright, this one is in West Blue, so this should be a short voyage. Dragon, you're coming on land with me this time." Adrian called. Dragon sighed. The man didn't want to leave him alone with his daughter any more than he absolutely had to. Not that he could be blamed.

"Yes, sir." Dragon pulled the anchor up and then went to check their course. He was the best navigator out of the five of them, and Olivia was teaching him to cook. Apparently they all wanted to pass their jobs off on him. He looked over at the beautiful girl that was tightening the ropes from the sail and grinned. It was worth it, he decided.

Things all went wrong when they reached the island. He should have seen it coming. The marine ship in the harbor was on site for recruitment, not the Poneglyph, but the government never passed up an opportunity to ensure their own power and authority.

They found the artifact with no trouble, and immediately the scholar went to work writing down every symbol. He was half way done with one side when the first marine arrived. He fired without shouting any warning, bringing Adrian down. The man only grunted once in pain before collapsing. The next shot took down Adrian's friend as he drew his sword. Dragon pulled Olivia away from her father's body and behind the artifact, hoping the cover would give them time to escape.

A group of three marines and half a dozen children stepped out of the forest in front of them. Dragon didn't hesitate as he grabbed Olivia's rifle and began firing. He took down two of the marine before the third could fire back, then began dragging the crying woman with him away from the sight. Just as the third marine was about to put a bullet between Olivia's shoulders, one of the children raised a hand, freezing him solid.

Dragon stared back in shock at the boy, then decided that the children might be the safest way out. He had heard a third shot on the other side of the Poneglyph that meant the scholar was dead. It was just the two of them now, and he had to save Olivia. The boy who had frozen the marine looked to be about twelve. He ran with them immediately, leaving the last marine on the far side, waiting for someone to show themselves so he could fire again.

They made it out of the forest, and then collapsed. Olivia was no longer crying. She just sat in the sand, staring wide eyed at the ocean.

"You... You saved us. Thank you." Dragon said to the boy. "What's your name?"

"Kuzan. He was going to kill her for no reason... Why would he do that?" The boy, Kuzan, asked.

"The government is corrupt... So are the marines. They use their authority to kill anyone who might challenge them. All they care about is maintaining their power over others, not peace."

"Are... Are all marines like that?" Kuzan asked quietly.

"... No. There are some good marines. At least one. My father is a marine, and a good man." Dragon said. The boy looked up at him with hopeful eyes.

"I'm going to be a good marine. If I can make it to the top, then I can make them all good!" Kuzan said. Dragon smiled and nodded. Could he argue with the child who had just saved their lives? When he truly wanted to do the right thing? No.

"You should get back to town. They'll kill you if they think you're with us." Dragon said. The boy nodded. Dragon turned to the others with him, who all appeared to be younger. "You should forget all about this... It would only bring you trouble, and I would not wish that on someone who helped us."

"Where will you go?" Kuzan asked.

"I'm going to take her home... And then I am joining the revolutionaries. Maybe one of us will succeed in changing this world." Dragon lifted the woman carefully in his arms, then carried her to their ship. It would be hard to set sail alone, but he could do it. As long as the marines didn't come for them before they got away.

"Dragon... Don't let this happen to anyone else..." Olivia whispered into his chest, then closed her eyes.

When they reached Ohara, he explained what had occurred. The scholars were shaken by the loss of three of their best. They promised to take care of the woman who had just lost her only living parent.

Dragon set out to the revolutionary outpost that evening. Six years later, Kuzan came to Ohara and reunited with the woman he had saved that day in the forest. Despite the fact that he was younger than her by five years, they were married not long after he arrived. One year after, he left and joined the marines without ever meeting his daughter. He remained determined to rise to the top of the marines and show people the truth. Two years after that, Olivia set out for the final time in her father's footsteps, devoting herself to her husband's dream of showing people the truth in her own way. Olivia only saw Dragon once more, two years after he had left her to join the marines. They never spoke, but they both knew. They were both doing what they had to, to save their world.

* * *

"So, you're the one Adrian said was going to join us. I'm sorry to hear about what happened to him." One of the revolutionaries extended a hand to Dragon, helping him up onto the deck. "My name is Luffy. It is nice to meet you."

"Likewise. You were a friend of Adrian?" Dragon asked.

"Yes, I was... He spoke very highly of you. Apparently he thought you would be his son in law one day." Luffy said sadly.

"I may have been... But I need to be here. People need to open their eyes and see what the government is doing right under their noses." Dragon looked back at the ship that had delivered him, knowing he would probably never see Olivia again. He couldn't think about that though. He needed his mind in the present.

"Well, it is three weeks travel to headquarters. We should be able to beat the group from East Blue if we hurry though." Luffy laughed and went to tell the ship's captain they were ready to set sail.

One week in to the voyage, they were attacked. The marines had fired on their ship from land as they passed within range. Luffy shoved Dragon to the floor as a cannon ball tore into him, leaving the older revolutionary stumbling toward the railing, blood pouring from what had once been his arm and shoulder.

"Luffy!" Dragon caught the man before he fell overboard, tearing off his green coat and tying it around the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. It was no use.

"Dragon, he's dead... We need you right now. We have to get out of range before they sink us, or no one will be able to give him a proper burial." Another revolutionary shook him gently, then pushed him toward the rear of the ship. With one last look at the man who had welcomed him to the revolutionaries, Dragon did as he was asked.

Two and a half weeks later, after a detour to bury their fallen comrade, they reached their headquarters. It was an island of white sand for as far as the eye could see, and the wind never stopped. Dragon was brought to the central building, and stood waiting for what was to come. A man stepped out of the largest door, directly in front of him, and looked around the room, then at a paper in his hand.

"One from West Blue, two from East Blue, one from the New World, and none from North or South Blue... Not much, but better than nothing. Welcome to the revolution." The man put down his paper and took a better look at the four people standing awkwardly around him. Out of the group, Dragon was the youngest at nineteen. "You... What the hell are you supposed to be?"

Dragon looked where the man was pointing and saw the subject quiver slightly at the question. He was certainly strange looking. Purple hair, woman's clothing, a very large head. He'd never seen anything like the man before. He may have been as young as dragon. Then again, he may have been as old as the revolutionary pointing at him, it was hard to tell.

"I'm... an okama, sir." The man said quietly, looking like he wanted nothing more than to vanish on the spot.

"Ah, one of those freaks. So, three recruits. Let's go." The man turned away, then flew forward suddenly as Dragon's foot collided with his back. "What's your problem, kid?!" The man pushed himself off the wall and turned back to face the younger man before him.

"My problem is you! What right do you have to tell him he is unworthy of fighting for what he believes in? That is the whole point of this revolution! To open people's eyes to injustice and corruption, not to buy into it yourself!" Dragon growled at the recruiter, stepping forward as he clenched his fists, ready to fight.

"He's an okama! Why are you standing up for him?" The recruiter demanded. "They are barely even people!"

"He is more of a man than you are, if that is how you think. Human or fishman, man or woman, okama. It doesn't matter. We all suffer together, and we must all fight together." Dragon took another step closer.

"He's right. That's why we joined you all... To fight for equality, not the mistreatment of a different group just because it doesn't include us." One of the two women behind Dragon said shyly. She stepped forward to stand by Dragon, giving him a small smile before turning her glare back on the man before them.

"I'm with them. If you treat a person like trash for a reason like that, you're as bad as the government." The other woman said, her arms crossed across her chest, and not the slightest hint of shyness in her voice. Her red-blonde hair was long and curly, forced into a loose ponytail by hidden bands.

"W-why are you defending me?" The man asked, coming to stand by their side as well.

"Because that is what friends do. We're going to be fighting this revolution together." Dragon turned to the purple haired man and grinned. "My name is Dragon, what's yours?"

"Ivanakov. You can call me Iva." The man smiled back. "I'm the heir to the okama throne, but I wanted to do my part to make this world a more accepting place for us first. I'm proud to call you a friend, Dragon. And both of you as well." He bowed to the two women, receiving a smile from the black haired girl and a punch in the arm and a grin from the red-blonde girl.

"I'm called Rouge. This is my friend Chrysos, but everyone calls her Chrysi." The second girl said. "Her brother is that pirate that's been giving the marines so much grief lately. Apparently he inspired her to take action."

"I took action on my own, my idiot brother had nothing to do with it!" Chrysi insisted angrily. "And you! Get up and take us in!" She turned her anger on the man who still leaned against the door. He could only nod.

"You're Roger's sister?" Dragon asked in disbelief.

"Mhm. And this jerk is the daughter of a noble. Iva is apparently a prince. You're the normal one, Dragon." Chrysi smiled.

"Ha. I'm the son of Garp the Fist." Dragon rolled his eyes. He wasn't proud of the man, but he felt he needed to be honest with his new friends.

"Woah! I guess none of us are normal then." Chrysis laughed and the four of them followed the recruiter into the next room. He never spoke a word against the okama again.

* * *

_**So, originally this chapter was longer, but since i am trying to make the whole thing chronological this time, i decided to cut it here.**_


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